[Levi Gribble]

[What You Do On Dates]

A/N: Inspired by Volume 7 when Jaune, Oscar and Weiss are headed to the movies. There isn't much Rosegarden content and it makes me weep. It's a slight AU where Ruby and Oscar go to the movies. Don't analyse this too deeply.

If Roman comes back in Volume 8 I will scream.

Ruby shifted uncomfortably in her seat, waiting outside of the screening and in one of the old seats pushed aside in the hallways as people bustled out in herds from the previous movie. Oscar was seated beside her, looking just as nervous as she did, holding the popcorn in his arms.

Ruby had thought long and hard about what she would wear to a casual get together, thanking Yang and Weiss for their advice as her mind wandered to the last time they were alone, which was in Mistral. The ice cold coke in her hands was helping ease the tension she had ever so slightly. She ran her fingers around the rim of the lid, contemplating how to start a conversation with Oscar.

Ren and Nora had kindly offered to take a job patrolling the area, enforcing the casual get up that Ruby decided to wear. Oscar had his cane tucked behind him but she took her chances and left her new and improved Crescent Rose back in Atlas academy.

Jaune's choice to invite Weiss out for dinner was almost a swing and a miss, but for some unknown reason she complied, telling him she didn't want to be a third wheel to Ruby, to which Ruby blushed furiously. Being with Oscar was great; he was kind, considerate, and collected for the most part, though the boy had stammered far too many times for his own good when he'd asked Ruby to join him. Initially it had been planned with him and Jaune, but Jaune bailed for the opportunity to ask Weiss out for dinner, and so Oscar was ditched. He didn't take it personally, however Ruby's pride stung a bit when she'd realised she'd been his second option, but when he apologised for the upteenth time she decided not to take it too harshly and exploded into a fit of giggles.

So there she was, clad in some ripped loose jeans and a black top, she internally thanked her instinct to ask her fellow teammates. Had she asked Blake she would've worn all-black and she wasn't sure that fit the occasion.

What is the occasion?

Ruby stopped at the thought. This wasn't a date, no matter how many times she'd thought it was. It was simply two friends (one of whom is a reincarnation and one of whom could petrify creatures of darkness), each of the opposite sex, having a nice time enjoying the movies. It had sounded silly, but Ruby liked to think it was a date. She'd had interest in Oscar for a while, spoken to him countless of times, as Oscar not Ozpin, and had known a fair lot about him. The more she had learned about him, the more she became interested in him. That promptly bloomed into something more, she realised, and she wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

Ruby troubled her thoughts back into how much work it had taken to actually leave for this date. Yang had explicitly told everyone not to tell her uncle Qrow as he had an annoying tendency to scare every male who came near his precious nieces all the way across the kingdom.

It wouldn't be the first time, Ruby pondered.

After about ten-odd minutes, the doors to the entrance opened, friends and family alike hustling inside as she held the door open for Oscar and searched for their seats. A silence ensued once they were settled, Ruby peering out of the corner of her eye to see Oscar rubbing the back of his head nervously.

This is disastrous, Ruby thought. As much close as Oscar and her had grown in these past few months, their awkward natures did anything but subside. Oscar was a stuttering mess, and she wasn't any better. We're teenagers, it's only natural. As natural as it may be, the thought still didn't comfort her.

The movie they'd chosen was Jumanji. Ruby had pretended to think about her choice of film when she'd first arrived, but she'd checked her scroll earlier before coming to spite the odds of her choosing a rom-com and screwing them both with an awkward night. Turns out, an action film could still do the trick. Thankfully, Oscar's age only helped. He was still fourteen, only a week before turning fifteen, however his boyish looks and a check to the scroll had him apologising nonstop as they walked in the hallway.

As more and more people crowded in and adverts rolled on the screen, Ruby decided to break the ice. They were friends, and friends weren't this awkward when in social gatherings. A part of her mind said, 'Are you sure about that?' but she hastily ignored it.

"Have you watched this film before?" She queered.

"No, I haven't. We only watched movies connected from our scrolls onto the TV but after the CCT went down…"

"Yeah…"

"Have you? Watched this movie, I mean."

"Huh? Yeah, me and Yang watched it all the time on Patch. We had family game nights and movie nights came in soon after that. Dad loved it as a kid and the remakes were so good that Yang and I didn't leave the couch for three days."

"Yeah?" Oscar chuckled. "Oh!" He said abruptly. "I hope I'm not burdening you in any way. We could've picked another―"

"Oscar," Ruby's soft voice comforted him and halted his fear. "It's fine. I don't mind rewatching it, especially with a good friend like yourself."

Timing seemed to be on Ruby's side for the evening as the movie began, lights dimming.

The dark theatre only had the light from the enormous screen and Ruby prayed it was enough to stop her small blush. She had taken a few sips from the iced coke she had bought earlier, sharing it with Oscar. When his lips seized the straw as he leaned across, her stomach swirled in a fashion she hadn't felt before.

Suddenly, she felt so small, her hunger for the popcorn only growing as she wanted to crawl out of her skin. Anxiety engulfed her mind as she thought of reaching over a hand in the popcorn. As much as she wanted to be closer to him, she felt as if all her efforts were taken from her, stolen by her own insecurities.

An overthinker, a part of her mind echoed, but it didn't need to, Ruby thought. She already knew that. It annoyed her to no end how she couldn't bring herself to pry her hand over to the popcorn in his lap, tilted slightly in her direction. Her social awkwardness and anxiousness seemed to have no bounds. How ridiculous! Leaning over, she stuffed a handful of popcorn in her mouth, a loud crunching sound followed as she looked away as embarrassment flooded her body.

Oscar let out a chuckle, Ruby's lips covered with specs of popcorn, and she let out a few giggles too. The tension that was once there lessened, only slightly.

The rest of the movie was followed by Ruby's eyes glued to the screen, and the occasional pass of cola to Oscar and an echo of giggles and laughter escaping her.

Oscar stopped in his tracks, looking deep in thought.

"Oscar?" Ruby looked back, concern seen in her eyes. Oscar's breath hitched.

"Sorry...It's just." He took a deep breath. "This was supposed to be a date. With saving the world and whatnot, with Salem and her faction of evil, with the Grimm invasions, I wanted to tell you before anything else stopped me. Before I never get the chance to tell you that I like you...in a romantic way." His eyes looked elsewhere, anywhere but in her silver eyes, and he applied his weight onto one foot, leaning into it out of sheer nervousness.

It seemed to be the theme of the evening.

Parts of Ruby were convinced she was dreaming, other parts were convinced he was joking, however the more seconds that passed after his statement, the more Ruby understood that what he said was the truth. A huge part of her couldn't believe it. The boy she'd encountered feelings for actually admitted to liking her. Sure, like isn't love, but still!

Before she could think about it too long, Ruby leaned forward and pressed her lips against the surface of Oscar's cheek.

"That's what you're supposed to do on dates, right?" A warm sensation flooded Ruby head to toe, and it was both exhilarating and new that Ruby didn't know how to feel about it. With the blush warming down Oscar's neck, Ruby took the new feeling as a good thing.

"Yeah…" Oscar was a blushing mess when she pulled away, and she noted that he looked exactly like how she felt, slightly confused, nervous but mainly it was the excitement that she saw in his eyes.

Ruby let out a heartfelt chuckle. "Let's get going, shall we?"

A/N: I may be a strong Rosewick advocate but that doesn't stop me from enjoying other pairings too. This just came to mind like ten minutes ago and I wrote and wrote and this is the end result. Such a cute ship and with their little moment in Volume 7, it seems Rooster Teeth thinks so too.

Studies have me held captive right now but quite honestly writing is so relaxing nowadays. Well, my chemistry is calling me so I guess I'll see you in the next one! Cheerio my fellow readers!

Don't forget that you're loved and cared for! You're so unique and precious! Why want to be like someone else when you can be yourself? Take care, angel!

Until next time!